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Desperate Men
Desperate Men The Desperate Men are an elite group of soldiers based out of Waterdeep. History Inception and War versus Jakandor The Desperate Men were the brain child of Knight Captain Calis from the Waterdeep Military. In 1367 Calis was investigating reports of a massive army being formed on the distant continent Jakandor. Calis then tasked Sergeant Bobby DeLongsville with forming a team of elite soldiers in order to investigate/stall the advance of the Jakandor Army. Sergeant DeLongsville chose an unlikely place to recruit. He examined the Waterdeep Prison and Death Row looking for men with combat experience and who were good people (or at least not evil people) who had been caught in bad situations. Among the first recruits of Death Row inmate was Arken Dunlow, a paladin of Torm. After several months of training, Seragent DeLongsville took his unit of 200 Desperate Men on the long voyage to Jakandor. Upon arrival, they learned about the local politics of Jakandor. It seemed that the entire continent had been embroiled in a decades long escalating war among mercenary companies. The mercenary groups would absorb members of vanquished foes, and ultimately a single massive army remained. Unable to bear the weight of their size, it became clear that the only way the leaders could maintain their grip on the army, they had to be at war with someone. Attacking the mainland seemed a logical conclusion. Also, the Desperate Men witnessed a massive boat building and port area being constructed. The Desperate Men impersonated being a mercenary group and was able to integrate inside the Jakandor army. This allowed him and his men to sneak into the newly constructed docks, and strategically place barrels of oil, smoke powder, and various other flammable and incendiary materials in the area. At dawn, the Desperate Men conducted a daring and frantic attack. They overran the docks, and set fire to everything in site. With the materials set the previous evening, the docks and ships were set ablaze quickly. The Desperate Men, then attempted to fight their way out of the city. Outnumbered over 100 to 1, escape was nigh impossible. Miraculously, two members of the team did escape the inferno, and the Jankandor Army. Arken Dunlow and his friend Sho-Pi, managed to fight their way free of the city, and eventually back to their own ship. The two friends, made the long and lonely trip back towards Waterdeep. On the way back, they encountered an Elven Cutter which had come under attack from undead Sahuagin. Arken and Sho-Pi fearlessly boarded the ship and came to the elves rescue. In the process their own ship was sunk. With the help of the two surviving Desperate Men, the elven ship was saved. Their captain, however, had been slain. The elves, grateful for the help, agreed to take Arken and Sho-Pi back towards Waterdeep. Along the way back to Water, the Elven ship known as 'Endeavor' saw significant action. They battled the sahuagin several more times, before finally defeating the Vampire Sahuagin leader in a vicious nighttime battle. Throughout the lengthy trip, Arken earned the respect of the Endeavor Crew, and eventually they came to regard his opinion so highly, that they asked him to stay on as Captain. Arken agreed, under the condition that they also allow him to fulfill his duties as a soldier of Waterdeep. Upon the return to Waterdeep, Arken and Sho-Pi learned that during their extended absence, Sergeant DeLongsville had overseen the recruiting of the next batch of Desperate Men. Arken was elevated to the rank of Sergeant and given command of a wing of the Desperate Men. Under Arken's command, the Desperate Men ventured back to Jakandor and once again set on a path to delaying the advance of the mercenary armies. The hope was that if they were delayed for long enough, logistical demands on the army would eventually cause it to break up. Arken and his men attacked the docks and the supply line of the massive amry, and were marginally successful. They were ultimately forced to flee. Back in Waterdeep, Calis was finally successful in convincing the Lords of Waterdeep of the danger posed by the enormous Jakandor Army. The Desperate Men, and the Arken's ship the 'Endeavor' stayed just in front of the advancing Jakandor army. In a surprising move, the mercenaries did not make towards the Mainland. Instead, they turned towards the Mythical Island of Evermeet. Arken made towards Evermeet with due haste, and brought warning to the Elves. He then stayed on the Island in order to aid in the defense. He allowed the Desperate Men a choice to stay or leave, and to a man, they stayed with their commander. A furious battle between the horde of mercenaries and the defenders of Evermeet ensued. Arken, and the Desperate Men played a key part in the defense, and were the first line of defense that turned back a surprise attack from below orchestrated by Drow. Timely reinforcements from Waterdeep also proved key in the survival of Evermeet. In the aftermath of the War, Arken was elevated in rank in the Waterdeep Army to Knight Captain, and was given rank in the Evermeet army as well. The surviving Desperate Men came home to a heroes welcome. Continuation of the Desperate Men and the Githyanki War After the events of the Jakandor War, the Desperate Men continued to train and recruit in their unorthodox fashion. They have participated in every official Waterdeep Military engagement, and many unofiicial engagements. Their unique backgrounds allow them to fit in with all sorts of nefarious organizations, and thus they are often used in infiltration missions, and in small unit urban engagements. When the Githyanki invaded Faerun, in the year 1374, the Desperate Men were at the forefront of the resistance. Arken Dunlow and Sho-Pi returned to lead a unit of the Desperate Men into the Astral Plane. They used Arken's elven ship, the 'Endeavor', and outfitted it to be an Astral ship. They then acted as the first point of contact and advanced guard for all of Faerun. They took the fight to the Githyanki and represented the first time forces from Faerun were able to attack the Githyanki on their home soil. The Desperate Men fought valiantly and continue to thwart the remaining Githyanki forces in Faerun. Rank The Commissioned and Non-commissioned ranks are the same as in the Waterdeep Military: Commissioned General Knight Captain Colonel Major Captain Lt. Non-commissioned Sergeant Major Master Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Specialist Private First Class Private Notable Desperate Men Sergeant Bobby DeLongsville: deceased: Founding Commanding Officer of the Desperate Men Knight-Captain Arken Dunlow: Founding Member, highest ranking officer in the Desperate Men Sergeant Sho-Pi: Founding Member. Specialist Errol 'Hawk' Hawkins: Veteran of Githyanki War, member of the squad assigned to the 'Endeavor' on its mission on the Astral Plane. Corporal Jordan "Sun Shine" Masterson: Veteran of Githyanki War, member of the squad assigned to the 'Endeavor' on its mission on the Astral Plane. Gunner: Veteran of Githyanki War, member of the squad assigned to the 'Endeavor' on its mission on the Astral Plane. Scoutmaster Broderick "Brody" Trublood: deceased: Veteran of Githyanki War, member of the squad assigned to the 'Endeavor' on its mission on the Astral Plane. Red Cloud Latest notes from Campaign Hawk, Gunner, Sun Shine, Red Cloud, Kun-low, and Helix Brief recap of events Hardbuckler Hawk, Gunner and Sun Shine meet Kun-low, Helix and Oran in Heartwing estate. The Desperate Men and the Jedi have received orders to travel to Hardbuckler (a town in the Heartlands) in order to liberate the citizens from Githyanki imprisonment. The group set off, and about a day from Hardbuckler, they ran into a wagon. The wagon was being piloted by a githyanki and accompanied by four bug bears, an ogre, a satyr and a displacer beast. The Desperate Men / Jedi laid an ambush. Oran, the padawan was killed early in the fight by the githyanki. The others rallied and defeated the monsters. Before he died, Oran was successful in rendering the Satyr unconscious (which was his desire, since it was discussed that the Satyr was probably under some mental compulsion from the githyanki). After that battle, the group freed the humans that were being transported in the wagon. Also, during the post fight conference, Kun-low and Hawk got into a discussion concerning the course of action. The Satyr was revived and bound, and showed the effects of still being under some sort of Githyanki mental influence. While Hawk and Kun-low discussed their options (or lack thereof), Sun Shine sneaked into the wagon and executed the Satyr. The group then continued on to Hardbuckler. They were joined by Red Cloud, who had traveled hard to catch up. They scouted the area, and found the three buildings holding the prisoners. They estimated around 30 Githyanki and a handful of Demons. The formed a half cocked plan to hijack the flying Githyanki ship and use that to transport the prisoners to safety. Sun Shine and Kun-low sneaked into the village and setup near one of the buildings housing three prisoners who seemed to under special guard. They waited for the others to steal the ship, hoping that many of the githyanki would vacate their post to investigate the ship. Hawk, Gunner, Red Cloud, and Helix rode on summoned Dire Bats up to the ship and attacked. They quickly took the upper deck, and advanced down to the Helm. A fast and furious fight swung in the favor of the Desperate Men. Using his experience from the Astral, Hawk then Piloted the ship down to the prisoner buildings while Gunner, Red Cloud, and Helix fire arrows and spells from the upper deck at the Githyanki below. Sunshine and Kun-low freed the 3 prisoners, from a half dozen githyanki and a demon. They then called on backup (gunner answered the call) and freed a paladin from a nearby building. They then broke into the main building. A frenzied fight took place where the Desperate Men and Kun-low just barely came out on top. one point in the fight Sun Shine was at -3, and Gunner was at -9 Star Mountains After the events in Hardbuckler Bravo Company (the new name for the group consisting of Kun-low, Helix, Hawk, Sun Shine, Gunner, Red Crow, and new member Davun Scruthers), began their return to Waterdeep. On the way back they received new orders to aid some refugees in the Star Mountains. Reports indicated that Githyanki (including at least one Sith) had enslaved a Green Dragon and were hunting refugees in the Star Mountains spurred the orders. Bravo Company altered course and then set down in the Star Mountains. They encountered mass graves of refugees and were ambushed by Githyanki. Ultimately they made their way to the Green Dragon's lair and fought the Githayanki and Dragon. During the fight, Helix was killed by Scallindra the Skinscribe. Darth Rend was also slain, as was the Green Dragon. Most of the githyanki were routed, but some leadership managed to escape. The githyanki leader was named Krundore, a skilled monk. Overconfident, he left his dragon mount and tried to face the PCs face-to-face. He was overwhelmed by the group, that also included the battered Hill Giant Bill. Upon his death, Scallindra left the chamber and retreated further into the mountain for reinforcements. She went to her personal chamber where her current lover awaited; Bakriis the Hezrou. Scallindra and Bakriis summoned several dozen dretches and other minor demons to send at the group. Shortly after killing the green dragon, Elaacrimalicros, the wave of demons flooded from the upper level and onto the PCs. The PCs rallied, meeting the demonic force head on. After a long and bloody battle, the group managed to kill all the demons. It was decided to leave the mountain as soon as possible in case more demons, githyanki, or other troops could be summoned. Bloody and battered, the group left, carrying their fallen comrade with them. Just before leaving the lair, a message carried by the wind echoes in the ears of Bravo Company, "I have killed them all. You were so close to saving them, and yet you have failed. 29 men, woman, and children were killed in a gas chamber further into the mountain because of your feeble attempt. Do not put me far from your thoughts "would-be-heroes", Scallindra the Skinscribe shall murder even more of your people. And again, you will probably fail to prevent me from doing so. Helix and the 29 refugees were just the start. I so relish a worthy adversary. I pray that you do not disappoint". The group makes it back to the ship a full day later without any trouble. The two wizards had spent some time concealing the ship even more with natural cover and other implements. They said that a small ship had passed by a few times but didn't seem to locate the hidden ship. Daggerford 1374 12/24 Bravo Company's new orders are to come back to HQ (Waterdeep) to re-supply, debrief, and possibly pick up more crew members. Bravo Company receives a new directive from Jedi Master Ronan to Jedi Master Kun-low: "We have received reports from the Duke of Daggerford, Pwyll Greatshout, that they have been attacked by githyanki. Pwyll and a guard of 50 men have taken refuge in the Daggerford Forest. They are awaiting your arrival and have been instructed to follow Bravo Company's orders. He reports around 200 dead and 600 prisoners along with extensive damage to the small city." "Tango Company was stationed in Daggerford helping to arm the people in case of attack. Pwyll states only 1 member made it out with him and his men and that the rest are unaccounted for. Your primary objective is to rescue Tango Company. Secondary objectives include rescuing the 600 prisoners, taking back the village, killing and/or capturing the enemy forces. Once you arrive and assess the situation, report back your plans." "We also believe the githyanki spellcaster you encountered back at the Starmounts is tracking you. Be careful as she is a dangerous one. And as always, may the force be with you." First Contact in Daggerford Bravo Company loaded up onto the Astral Brig, christened the Endeavor II, heads for the Daggerford Forest in search of Pwyll Greatshout, his men, and the Wayne Minnick. They eventually track them to where they were in a standoff with the githyanki hunting party and winter wolves. With escape or victory far from a possibility, Pwyll surrendered his position and ordered his men to surrender to the githyanki. The githyanki marched the prisoners into an ambush set by the Desperate Men, consisting of Sunshine, Bloodrain, Atreus, and Wayne. The githyanki captain, who was the nominal leader of the raiding party in Daggerford was killed. Bloodrain and Wayne were brought down by the captain's massive winter wolf, the pack leader. Atreus and Sunshine fled to the northeast toward the river and covered their tracks to avoid pursuit. The rendevous point is a day from now, and new plans must be formulated. Bloodrain and Wayne are considered M.I.A. until further investigation. Group Treasure on Astral Brig +1 Keen Greatsword (4) +2 Astral Driftmetal Breastplate* (4) +3 Crossbow Bolts, Flaming Burst (75) Masterwork Heavy Crossbow (4) +2 Breastplate (2) +1 Greatsword (2) +1 Crossbow Bolts (25) +1 Greatclub of Speed +2 Hide Armor Masterwork Composite Longbow (+4 Strength 250 gold pieces from everything 6 diamond worth 100 gp each Supplies for 100 soldiers to survive for 3 months Astral Driftmetal* This extraordinarily rare mineral is mined only on islands of matter floating on the Astral Plane. It is very similar to iron but has a single extraordinary feature: It is resistant to incorporeal attack. Possible Armor Types: It is not malleable enough to be worked into chainmail or scale mail; only a breastplate, shield, or any form of heavy armor can be made from Astral driftmetal. Note that items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected. Statistics: A suit of driftmetal armor weighs 5 pounds more than the same armor made of steel, but the other statistics of the armor are unchanged. It has a 25% chance of being effective against an incorporeal attack, as if it were made of force. Hardness: Astral driftmetal has a hardness of 12 and 30 hit points per inch of thickness. Former/Deceased Members of the Company Brody: Brody was an original member of Bravo company (before it was known as the Bravo Company). He was with Hawk, Gunner, and Sunshine during the campaign on the Astral. He was killed while fighting Githyanki on board a Githzerai vessel on the Astral. Oran Laszlo: Orlan was a Jedi Padowan studying under Jedi Master Kun-low. While not officially a member of Bravo Company, he was killed while helping Bravo company on its mission to liberate Hardbuckler. Helix Horn: A Jedi Padowan studying under Jedi Master Kun-low. While not officially a member of Bravo Company, he accompanied Bravo company on its mission in Hardbuckler, and in the Star Mountains.He was killed by a Githyanki spell caster (Scallindra the Skinscribe) in the Star Mountains. Echo Company Echo Company is the cavalry division of the Desperate Men. It's commanding officer is Sir Artus Ector III, a captain in the Waterhavian army. Echo company is a small group of mounted combat specialists. Its members do not typically exude as much of the outlaw bravado as other Desperate Men companies (notably Bravo Company). This is probably due to the fact that the maneuvers and co-ordination for mounted combat requires more discipline and training, than the infantry companies. Also, most of the members of Echo company hail from military and ecclesiastic backgrounds, and have already had quite a bit of formation and tactical training. Also, not all the members in Echo Company were recruited in a similar fashion as other companies in the Desperate Men. Many were originally in Waterdeep's regular army, and were reassigned, or volunteered for a post with the Desperate Men. Notable Echo Company Member, and other notes Category:Groups Category:Desperate Men